Bali Process Workshop on "Victim Protection",
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 12-13 January 2012
Current national inter-agency coordination
frameworks and challenges
Presented by Mr. Dilip Kumar Paudel,
Deputy Chief of Protocol,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Nepal
12 January 2012
Nepal Country Presentation by Mr. Dilip Kumar Paudel, Deputy Chief of Protocol,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Bali Process Workshop on "Victim Protection",
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 12-13 January 2012
Current national inter-agency coordination frameworks and challenges
The number of Nepalese going abroad for employment has been on the rise for the last
decade. The unskilled workforce has dominated Nepalese foreign Employment.
An estimate of 2011 census shows that more than 2 million Nepalese have been to
countries other than India for work through legal as well as illegal channels.
The rising foreign employment tendency in Nepal has been exploited by human
traffickers in an unprecedented manner. Aware of the well organised syndicate of human
traffickers, Government of Nepal has made a mandatory requirement for all workers to
leave for overseas work via the only International Airport in Kathmandu. However,
human traffickers continue to avoid the designated airport. Many men and women willing
to go for work have fallen prey to traffickers in false assurances of high salary and
attractive work and they opted to go through routes other than Kathmandu airport. This
has left them in very miserable and inhuman situation in many countries.
Government of Nepal has conducted nationwide awareness programmes including media
campaign in cooperation and coordination with various Agencies, NGOs and INGos to
control human trafficking and the protection of the trafficked. Various protection centres
and services have been established in various districts for all forms of trafficking. The
NGOs and INGos basically concentrate on legal services, medical services, rehabilitation,
psychological treatment and counselling and other required services.
Police Officers at various levels have been trained to investigate children and women
trafficking cases, protect children in shelters, encourage them to help find the culprit. The
basic training curriculum of junior police officers is designed in a way to include the case
handling of trafficking. Children friendly shelters have been established in 8 districts to
accommodate the trafficked children until they are rehabilitated. Police vigilance has
effectively been increased in border to control trafficking. Law enforcement efforts have
been increased considerably against all types of trafficking including fraudulent labour
recruitment for the purpose of illegal working abroad, trafficking for sex and some in
drug trafficking.
Government has allocated approximately 30 million Nepalese rupees to open and operate
almost 2 dozens of emergency shelters across the country for the protection and
sheltering of trafficked and abused victims. Government has rented shelters near its
embassies in Gulf countries for accommodating women migrant workers including the
trafficked women.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home, Ministry of Women Children and Social
Welfare Ministry of labour, Ministry of justice, Police authorites and UN agencies and
several NGOs and INGOs have been working in close coordination to control the act of
human trafficking. These coordinated efforts have been successful to a certain degree but
still more efforts are needed to curtail this heinous crime. As a result of this coordinated
efforts, police have been able to arrest 234 persons (171 men and 63 women) involved in
trafficking in person in the year 2010 and mid 2011. 161 cases have already been filed
against these traffickers and some are in process. Majority of traffickers were either
illiterate or moderately literate. The government of Nepal is very grateful to the
government of India for the intelligence and other support and cooperation we have been
receiving in our endeavour of combating trafficking between the open borders of or two
friendly countries.
Government has a lot of challenges ahead to control this crime of trafficking and
protection of victims despite all coordinated efforts in place. Government resources have
been insufficient compared to the requirements in the field, police personnels assigned
for the job are still in need focussed training and updated data sharing mechanism among
the relevant agencies has not been in pace as required. On the whole we are encouraged
by the achievements we have made so far.
Thank you .
Composition of Nepalese delegation
1. Mr. Dilip Kumar Paudel, Deputy Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2. Mr. Phanindra Dahal, Section Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs,